


Nick (Conversation IV)

by WaltD



Series: Conversations [4]
Category: Forever Knight
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-08
Updated: 2015-01-08
Packaged: 2018-03-06 16:12:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,056
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3140627
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WaltD/pseuds/WaltD
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nick: Love Will Keep Us Together  (Yeah, Nick, sure it will!)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Nick (Conversation IV)

                The characters in Forever Knight were created by James Parriott and Barney Cohen and are the _property of Sony/Columbia/Tri-Star. The stories here are fan fiction, in which Nick and Natalie survive "Last Knight", the series finale. Tracy and Vachon also survive. This story may be archived wherever by whomever._

_Wade Everett, a new detective is temporarily assigned to the 96th and Nick; he's found out what Nick is._

**NICK**

LOVE WILL KEEP US TOGETHER

_Love will keep us together.  
_ _\-- The Carpenters_

_Natalie & Nick_

            "Take me home, Nick, please."

            "Yes, this isn't the place to talk anyway," Nick said looking around at the interior and the people in the Raven.

In the car:

          "You're kidding!" Nick said, "That was it?"

            "Yes."

            "But why did you have to ask Wade, you know I would have –"

            "Yes, you would have. And that's why I asked Wade. _You_ and _LaCroix_ would have gotten into it again," she said dryly.

            "Well, I'm glad you cleared the air a bit if you felt that was necessary, but it was a dangerous thing to do."

            "Yes, but I felt it was my responsibility, after all I was the one who insulted him." << _Even if it was justified_. >>

            "O.k., Natalie, but, please, let me help next time!?"

            "Maybe. Nick, you have to realize that I _am_ a grown woman and can take care of myself. I love you dearly, but, first, I don't want you doing my battles for me – at least, without asking me first, and second, I am not a medieval porcelain doll, I'm a living, breathing twentieth-first century woman. I'll take your help, but you have to offer it and wait for my o.k."

In the car in front of Natalie's apartment:

            She stopped talking and gave him an exasperated look. He had that semi-detached, other world look on his face.

            "You 'love me dearly'?"

            "Have you heard a word I said?"

            "Yes," he beamed, 'You love me dearly'." He grabbed her, hugged her close to him. She looked at him and saw that he was close to tears.

            "Nick, Nick, stop. 'I care for you.' That covers it. Anything further than that, you are going to have to earn. After what happened, I don't know that I can trust you completely and . . . ." She trailed off.

            "Natalie. I heard you. You said, 'I love you dearly'. Yeah, there's a lot of other baggage to work through, at least for me; I know that, but you've given me back some hope. That's all I need." He was beginning to glow.

            << _Oh, god_. >> "Nick, get a grip. It's a figure of speech. --"

            "I know that, Nat, but I've been grasping at straws already. I'll take what I can get, no matter how small."

            "Lordy, are all you medieval vampire knights like this?"

            "Only the ones in love with you."

            "Well, Nicholas deBrabant Knight, do you realize that this is the first time you've actually voiced those feelings?"

            "Really?

            "Yes, really, and you know it. O.k., there's some hope for you. – Will you quit that puppy dog look? You know – oh, you are incorrigible. I'm beginning to understand LaCroix's difficulties with you. Oh, stop it," she said, hitting him on the shoulder with her fist. "The little _lost_ puppy look doesn't work either. And, 'no,' you can't come up. Another time."

            She opened the car door and got out before he could jump out, run around and open it for her. She walked to his side of the car, bent down, and gave him a peck on the cheek, then escaped into her apartment building before he could do anything else.

            << _Oh, 'loves me dearly'. I know it's only a figure of speech, but it's a start_. >> Nick, for a change, got home and wasn't a bit gloomy.

_Nick & LaCroix. _

In the Loft.

            "Nicholas!"

            Nick buzzed the door so LaCroix could get in. When he got into the loft, he said to Nicholas, "What is the meaning of this—

            "Lucien," Nick cut him off, "I told you before to call first before you come over. You no longer have carte blanche to walk in here whenever you wish. But now that you're here: welcome, can I get you something to drink?" Nick spoke as nicely as he could.

            LaCroix glared. "That _doctor_ told you she loved you, and I understand that you have said as much to her. You know what that means, Nicholas," he said severely. "According to our agreement from –"

            "Stop," Nick said quietly. "Lucien, that 'agreement' was fulfilled years ago and time and time again. Let me be perfectly clear," Nick's voice was as cold as he could get it, "if anything happens to her, I -- Will -- Kill -- You; sire, friend, master, or not. Even if in the trying, my own destruction is accomplished." He stared directly at LaCroix, almost as if he were daring the vampire to take up the challenge right there on the spot. " Clear? "

            LaCroix looked intently at Nicholas and came to a conclusion. "Very well, Nicholas. But, mark my words, nothing good will come of this." And with that, he turned dramatically on his heel, and stalked out.

            Nick looked after him, and started breathing again (not that he needed to in the first place, but some habits never die).

            << _Well_ ,>> he thought to himself, << _Well_. >>

_Nick & Wade_

            "Not really!" Wade said.

            "Swear to god!" said Nick.

            "Amazing Well, let's hope it lasts. Being firm and direct would seem to be working, but, as you have said a so often, he is a law unto himself."

            "Yeah, but for now anyway . . . ." Nick smiled.

            "But, wait a minute. Why would this work now? It never did in the past," Nick asked.

            "You want simple version or complex detailed version with all the professional gobbledygook?"

            Nick just glared at Wade.

            "Yeah, right. I don't want you to bite me, so I'll give you the simple version: he's been co-opted." Wade stopped talking and waited for Nick.

            "Aw, c'mon, Wade," Nick said after a significant pause, "A little less simple? Huh? Please?"

            "O.k.," he laughed. "All of LaCroix's options have been blocked. He can't threaten Natalie 'cause you really will try to kill him. His safety valve there was that you wouldn't kill yourself. Now, you've removed that. Natalie herself has stood up to him and indicated that if he tried to go after her that _she_ would retaliate even at the cost of her own life. It's a lose-lose situation. So right now, he is convincing himself that it's _his_ idea to back off from you for a couple of decades since he's a 'decent, kind-hearted type of father'. Oh, don't choke, it's that he _thinks_ he is, not that he _really_ is. In other words, as soon as it's his idea, then it'll be all right.           

            "Now, my position is that I think we've put him into the position that that is his only option."

            "You're sure?"

            "Of course not. But it's a reasonable assumption."

            "You know, one of your problems has been that for a very long time, he has been one of your very few friends. Well, think about the reverse. For a very long time, you have been one of his very few friends.

            "No matter what else, he doesn't really want to lose you. So, if it's _his_ idea to give you some slack, then it's o.k. He just wants to drive you _to_ the edge not _over_ it.

            "In his way, he may be as lonely as you.

            "This is where knowledge is power. You know what the situation is; this allows you to deal with it better. Don't show him any anger or frustration and that'll drive him nuts. But don't pity him. After all, he is a Roman general and has his pride. Ah, but you wouldn’t do that anyway. You have real feelings for him. Hey how many other people have you known through thick and thin for 750 years, right?

            "You did try to kill him at least once, but he had driven you to that, he won't want to do that again. And, you've shown him where the line has been drawn. He just has to believe that he drew it; you have to not care who drew it."

            "Anyway, like I said, we should be o.k. It's just that with LC, ya never know, do ya!" Wade gave Nick a vapid smile. :-)  

_Wade & LaCroix_

            "What did Dr. Lambert give you, Lucius?"

            Lucius raised his eyebrows at the detective. "It really is not any of your concern, you know."

            "Yes, but then, curiosity has always been one of my faults," he smiled.

            'Well, in fact as far as this is concerned, I would appreciate a comment or two from you concerning this, a professional opinion as it were." He handed Wade the small box and Wade saw that it contained a small Roman coin set inside a glass container shaped like a pendant or badge.

            "This is quite nice, Lucius. Dr. Lambert gave this to you?"

            "Yes, that should have been obvious, young man. Now, as a so-called expert in these matters, what am I to make of it?"

            "Lucius, that's no mystery if you think about it. You pretend to disdain humanity, but you are still human whether you like it or not. She is trying to get on your good side, assuming of course that you have one."

            "And, you, young man, seem to disdain venerable and distinguished vampires. Why?"

            "Why do I – " he stopped what he was about to say after seeing the glare LaCroix was giving him, and continued in a very serious vein with, "—You know she and Nicholas are getting closer, in fact, I believe 'romantically involved' would be the proper term. She knows exactly what you are, what you've done before, and so forth. She _is_ afraid of you, but she is facing her fears. She has a greater goal in mind, namely Nick.

            "I believe, Lucius, that this indicates that she wants to make some sort of peace with you, but her demeanor would also indicate that she is not going to bow to you and she will fight you if she has to.

            "You realize, I hope, that she is fighting for her love and lover. You can't stop her –" LaCroix started to interrupt.

            "No! Could you have broken up Romeo and Juliet? They have both reached the point where they will work out whatever happened that night awhile ago [ _Last Knight_ ]. And, that, at least for the time being, they are the loves of each others lives, and anyone who comes between them . . . well, I wouldn't do it, Lucius. You'll only come off looking bad, at best, and possibly dead, at worst."

            LaCroix looked intently at his young friend, "You are serious about this, are you not? Yes, of course, you are. You, of all people, would not hesitate to tell me bad news. You know my inclination is to break this up?"

            "Yes, I do, Lucius, but, as I indicated, I wouldn't recommend it. They will stop at nothing to be together whether it means your death, or theirs, or all of yours. The best thing you can do is nothing. Leave it alone. This is one of those things that will work itself out. And, if you stay out of it, no blame will fall to you. Besides, you know you will outlast her; what's 20, 30 years to an immortal like you?"

            "You make it sound reasonable, Youngman."

            "I know, sir, I'm very good at that."

            "But, Nicholas is mine!—"

            "NO, he is _not_. And, I've told you before, if you continue in that vein, you'll lose him. You're smart enough to figure that out."

            "This is frustrating, detective," he said sincerely and quietly.

            "Yes, sir, it is. Would you like me to console you as I did a short time ago?" He winked.

            "Detective, are you insatiable?"

            "No, sir. Just horny!"

            "Very well, Youngman. I'll leave the two 'lovebirds' " – the word came out almost as a curse – "to their destinies, at least for the time being. And _you,"_ he said reaching over to the detective, and pulling him to himself, _"_ are about to learn what it is like to be impaled on a cross – "

 

 --0--


End file.
